California Department of Transportation

MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS COMING TO STATE ROUTE 99 IN MODESTO

Stanislaus County – Caltrans and Stanislaus County broke ground today on an expansive $51 million project that will ease traffic congestion and improve safety along State Route 99 (SR-99) in Modesto.

The project will construct one new lane in each direction on SR-99 from Kiernan Avenue to Pelandale Avenue. The new lanes (officially known as "auxiliary" lanes) are intended to give drivers more time and space to safely merge on and off the Central Valley's busiest highway.

"We're making driving safer and less stressful," said Caltrans Director Malcolm Dougherty. "By making it easier for motorists to enter and exit the highway, we're also helping to reduce congestion."

The project will also replace the Kiernan Avenue interchange with a modern, wider overpass, providing motorists better access to and from SR-99.

The $51 million project received approximately $37 million from Proposition 1B, the $19.9 billion transportation bond approved by voters in 2006. To date, nearly $15 billion in Proposition 1B funds have been distributed statewide.